|
|
|
Businesses Should Specialise Not Generalise
In the 1980s it was the fashion for businesses to be diverse and to offer a variety of service. This strategy was found to be wanting in the 1990s when many businesses decided to stick to the core businesses they know best and to dispose of...
Firing someone without resentment
Firing someone is always going to be thankless task, rife with stress and a fraying of nerves. Here are some ways in which resentment and conflict can be minimised throughout this difficult process Firing, sacking, letting go or terminating people...
How to Avoid the Legal Pitfalls when Setting up Your Own Business
How To Avoid The Legal Pitfalls when Setting up Your Own Business No matter who you are you will make mistakes at some point in your business life and unfortunately the law is not very forgiving - ignorance is not a defence. Here are some of the...
PRONTO North America Marketing Director Verzi Thrilled to Have Cutler and Smedley at Users Conference
Wednesday, May 4th, Thomas R. Cutler, CEO of TR Cutler, Inc., author of the Manufacturers Public Relations and Media Guide, Associate Editor of Industrial Connection, and Contributing Editor to InMFG magazine will be addressing the first annual...
Where Is Our Largest Technological Plan?
The period, more or less one year before September 11. The White House Technology Advisor worked in the mankind largest plan until now, to install a fantastic communications and IT network of 100 Mb/s in 100 million houses in the next 10 years....
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Public Relations: A Natural Phenomenon
What else do you call a human discipline whose very nature
is firmly rooted in the principle that people act on their
own perception of the facts, then creates, changes or
reinforces public opinion by reaching, persuading and
moving-to-action the very people whose behaviors affect the
organization?
I call it public relations, and clearly a natural phenomenon.
In fact, I believe it is the fundamental premise of public
relations. Especially when it deals with the sheer survival of
the organization by successfully altering the perceptions
and, hence, the behaviors of certain groups of people important
to the success of that organization.
Because public relations problems are usually defined by
what people THINK about a set of facts, versus the truth of
the matter, we are well-advised to focus on that fundamental
premise.
Does it become any less of a phenomenon as it works its
magic in the real world?
No. Instead, it is the degree of human behavioral change it
produces – through quality planning – that defines the success
or failure of a public relations program.
In my experience, there is broad agreement that people really
do act on THEIR perception of the facts, and that how they
react to those facts actually does affect their behaviors.
So, to me, it follows that individual understanding of those
facts must be continually informed if the follow-on behaviors
are to help achieve the organization’s goal and objectives.
In the end, a sound public relations strategy combined with
effective communications tactics leads directly to the
bottom line – perceptions altered, behaviors modified,
client/employer satisfied. In other words, when those changes
in perception and behaviors clearly meet the original behavior
modification goal set at the beginning of the program, the
public relations effort is successful.
So, what comes first? I believe acceptance that
individual perception of the facts is the guiding light
leading to behavioral change, and that something can be done
about those perceptions. While not everyone buys that, I
must say that it actually helped shape my career in public
relations.
I asked myself some time ago, why am I working in public
relations anyway? The answers only strengthened my conviction.
Was it to create major publicity for my employer or client?
Often yes, but I realized that it was only an interim
step designed to alter target audience perceptions and
behaviors. The same response applied to every tactic from
creating newsworthy special events, effective response to
crises and controversial public issues to managing investor
relations or major speech appearances.
Yes, such tactics are vital cogs in the public relations problem
solving sequence but, again, only as interim steps designed
to alter target audience perceptions and behaviors.
Fact is, NO organization – business, non-profit or public
sector – can succeed today unless the behaviors of its most
important audiences are in-sync with the organization’s
objectives. And that means public relations professionals
must modify somebody’s behavior if they are to help hit the employer/client’s objective and earn a paycheck. All else are
but means to that end.
Once public relations’ natural phenomenon characteristics
are understood, an action pathway begins to appear:
-- identify the problem
-- identify target audiences
-- set the public relations goal
-- set the public relations strategy
-- prepare persuasive messages
-- select and implement key communications tactics
-- monitor progress
-- and the end-game? Meet the behavior
modification goal
And we get a bonus because we’re using a near-perfect public
relations performance standard. I mean, how can you measure
the results of an activity more accurately than when you
clearly achieve the goal you set at the beginning of that
activity? You can’t. It’s pure success.
Of course, as we develop those interim tactical activities,
we’ll be nurturing the relationships between our target
audiences and our employer/client’s business by burnishing
the reputation of the organization, its service and products.
We will do our best to persuade those target audiences to
do what our employer/client wants them to do. And while
seeking public understanding and acceptance of that
employer/client, we’ll insure that our joint activities not
only comply with the law, but clearly serve the public
interest. Then, we will pull out all tactical stops to
actually move those individuals to action. And our
employer/client will be pleased that we have brought
matters along to this point.
But when will that employer/client of ours be fully satisfied
with the public relations results we have produced? Only
when our “reach, persuade and move-to-action” efforts have
produced the desired, visible modification in the behaviors
of those target audiences we, and they wish to influence.
In my view, this is the fundamental premise of a natural
phenomenon called public relations, and the strategic context
in which we must operate.
end
About the Author
Bob Kelly, public relations counselor, was director of public
relations for Pepsi-Cola Co.; AGM-Public Relations, Texaco Inc.;
VP-Public Relations, Olin Corp.; VP-Public Relations, Newport
News Shipbuilding & Drydock Co.; director of communications,
U.S. Department of the Interior, and deputy assistant press
secretary, The White House. mailto:bobkelly@TNI.net
|
|
|
|
|
| PR.com: Directory of Businesses Jobs Press Releases Products ... |
| Comprehensive Directory of Businesses, Jobs, Products, Services, Press Releases, News, & Articles in all Industries. Promote your business. FREE. |
| www.pr.com |
|
| PR Newswire - news distribution, targeting and monitoring |
| News and press release distribution services for small business marketing, corporate public relations and investor relations, government and organizational ... |
| www.prnewswire.com |
|
| PR Week Magazine |
| News and features about the public relations industry, with links to US, UK, Asian, and German editions. |
| www.prweek.com |
|
| Public relations - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia |
| Public relations (PR) is the art of managing communication between an organization and its ... PR historians say the first PR firm, the Publicity Bureau, ... |
| en.wikipedia.org |
|
| Puerto Rico - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia |
| Hyperlinked encyclopedia article covers the country's history, government and politics, geography, economy, demographics, language and culture. |
| en.wikipedia.org |
|
| The Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) |
| Largest professional organization of public relations specialists representing business, consulting firms, government, associations, schools, ... |
| www.prsa.org |
|
| CIA - The World Factbook -- Puerto Rico |
| Profile of Puerto Rico by the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA). |
| https: |
|
| Center for Media and Democracy - Publishers of PR Watch |
| A nonprofit, public interest organization dedicated to investigative reporting on the public relations industry. |
| www.prwatch.org |
|
| Puerto Rico Vacations | Puerto Rico Tourism Company | Puerto Rico ... |
| Puerto Rico Tourism Company Official site includes nightlife, area sports, culture, and travel information. |
| www.gotopuertorico.com |
|
| PR: See what people are saying right now on Technorati |
| See all blog posts tagged with pr on Technorati. ... This page shows everything that has been tagged with pr. To contribute to this page include this code ... |
| www.technorati.com |
|
| Edelman |
| Full service global public relations firm. Includes company profile, management team, practice areas, industries served, case histories, client listings, ... |
| www.edelman.com |
|
| LEWIS PR - global public relations |
| LEWIS PR is a global public relations consultancy working with leading and emerging brands and delivering predictable results tied tightly to client goals. |
| www.lewispr.com |
|
| IANA | .pr - Puerto Rico |
| University of Puerto Rico Gauss Laboratory Facundo Bueso Building Office 265 ... Puerto Rico Email: tech@uprr.pr Voice: +787 765 3263 Fax: +787 754 0757 ... |
| www.iana.org |
|
| Online Public Relations Home Page |
| Free online resource for public relations professionals. |
| www.online-pr.com |
|
| Chartered Institute of Public Relations, CIPR, the professional ... |
| The CIPR is the professional body for the UK public relations industry, providing PR training and events, PR news and research, and a PR jobs board. |
| www.ipr.org.uk |
|
| PR News Online — Trusted Source for Public Relations News, PR ... |
| The latest news on public relations delivered FREE right to your inbox. ... Psycho-Geometrics Help You Know What 'Shape' Your PR Team's Personality Is In ... |
| www.prnewsonline.com |
|
| O'Dwyer's Public Relations News - odwyerpr.com |
| Features breaking news about the public relations industry, a database of PR firms, listing of PR service firms, client search tool and job postings. |
| www.odwyerpr.com |
|
| PR News Online — Trusted Source for Public Relations News, PR ... |
| E-letter. The latest news on public relations delivered FREE right to your inbox. ... Share ideas with your peers in PR News' just-launched Forum ... |
| www.prandmarketing.com |
|
| Linux PR: |
| Comprehensive Press Release and Public Relations resource for the Linux community. |
| www.linuxpr.com |
|
| Escape to Puerto Rico - Your Internet Guide to Puerto Rico |
| Internet guide to everything Puerto Rico. Offers lots of photos, accommodations and travel information from around the Island. |
| escape.topuertorico.com |
|
|